Colts Daily Headlines: January 14th Edition

Intro: Each morning Colts.com will take a look at the top headlines surrounding the Indianapolis Colts from around the globe.

INDIANAPOLIS – The Colts spent Monday cleaning out their locker rooms to begin the 2014 offseason. Today’s news looks at Reggie Wayne’s confidence in returning to the field and Chuck Pagano’s mantra in the trenches.

For the first time since being placed on injured reserve, Reggie Wayne spoke with the media on Monday.

Wayne tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during the fourth quarter of an Oct. 20 victory over the Denver Broncos. He was placed on the injured reserve list and underwent reconstructive surgery five days later.

He declined Monday to speculate on when he will resume full football activities, but he made it clear he expects to play next season and play at, and even above, the level that has made him a 1,000-yard receiver eight of the past 10 seasons.

"I can tell you that Reggie Wayne, as I'm speaking in the third person, has never lacked confidence," he said. "I'm very, very, very confident I will come back better than I was.

"One thing about this time: It was an opportunity for my body to heal up a little bit so hopefully I stole a year. We'll go from there."

If Chuck Pagano needed any more reassurance that a run game is needed in the month of January, this past weekend reaffirmed that notion.

Pagano noted that the four teams playing in the AFC and NFC championship games all had success running the ball in the divisional games. Each team rushed at least 34 times, and New England ran for 234 yards against the Colts in its victory Saturday.

Indianapolis rushed for 69 yards against the Patriots. That's why the Colts are steadfast on becoming more of a running team next season.

"Will we ever change? No," Pagano said. "I don't think it's ever more prevalent. The deeper you go, the further you go in the playoffs, you have to be able to run the football and stop the run. I think statistics alone from this past week are enough to continue to make me be a believer. You're going to have to throw the football sometime, and we have one of the best [with Luck]."

The Indianapolis Colts have signed Matt Eberflus as defensive coordinator, Nick Sirianni as offensive coordinator, Bubba Ventrone as special teams coordinator and Rusty Jones as director of sports performance.

Frank Reich spent two seasons as Peyton Manning’s quarterbacks coach with the Indianapolis Colts, which turned out to be arguably his best two years in Indy. We take a look back at Reich’s rise through the coaching ranks.

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